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Thanks to a very generous $2500 grant from the Clif Bar Family Foundation, the Council for Responsible Sport will be able to waive the ReSport Certification application fees for five small events in 2013.

While we have had success working with many large running events and triathlons, we have found that a lot of grassroots events – whose reason for being is to raise funds for a community-based cause or local charity – would like to pursue ReSport Certification, but decide not to so they can maximize contributions to the event beneficiary. So we went to the Clif Bar Family Foundation and applied for a grant, which was recently approved!

The Clif Bar Family Foundation grant is intended to help us bridge the gap between what we must charge for ReSport Certification and the fees that small event organizers are willing and able to pay. We typically charge events with fewer than 1,000 participants $500 to become ReSport Certified, which is valid for two years. Thus, the $2,500 grant will underwrite the certification application fees for five small events next year. The only expense the events will occur will be any out of pocket transportation or lodging expenses for the person assigned to observe the event’s efforts on race day; we try to assign local evaluators whenever possible.

Please note: Small event organizers are encouraged to become familiar with the ReSport Certification application process and standards for certification, and should not apply for a fee waiver without confidence that at least basic ReSport Certification will be achieved.

The Local Organizing Committee of the recent 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials – Track & Field (aka TrackTown12) has earned Gold ReSport Certification for their socially and environmentally responsible initiatives. In doing so, TrackTown12 also helped the Council pilot new ReSport Certification standards for multi-day events.

Congratulations and thanks!

They have also stated a commitment to pursue Evergreen ReSport Certification for all future events, including the NCAA Championships in 2013 and 2014 and the IAAF World Junior Championships in 2014. Talk about not resting on your laurels.

Early on in the planning for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials – Track & Field, the theme We Can! was developed for all consumer-facing communications. From Zero Waste table tents to the public service announcement that ran regularly on the Hayward Field Video Scoreboard, We Can! served as a constant reminder that TrackTown12 success depended greatly on everyone’s participation in the sustainability efforts. Athletes, volunteers and fans embraced the message wholeheartedly.

Two words sum up the TrackTown12 effort: They Did!

A PDF of the press release announcing Gold ReSport Certification can found here. And a PDF of TrackTown12’s Sustainability Report can be found here.

Big news: the Council for Responsible Sport has been invited to participate in a White House discussion on sports and sustainability! According to the invitation, this event, scheduled for Thursday, July 19th, will “celebrate the sports industry’s success in adopting more sustainable practices,” and the conversation will “focus on the economic and environmental benefits of greening the sports industry.”

While meeting attendees will primarily represent professional sports teams and venues, we’re pleased and honored that the Council has been offered a seat at the “table.”

Expect to hear a lot more about the state of sustainable sport over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be going from Washington DC to London for the Beyond Sport Summit, which will be followed immediately by what are being touted as the greenest Olympic Games to date.

Stay tuned for news from the DC Sports and Sustainability Forum and the Beyond Sport Summit.

As you can see in the photo above, the folks in Bethesda, Maryland take their dodgeball seriously. Dodging Diabetes organizers Anna Tiedeman Irwin and Elizabeth Kramer take the idea of staging a sustainable sports event seriously as well.

In a press release issued last week, Anna and Elizabeth had this to say about their pursuit of ReSport Certification:

“Dodging Diabetes has always, and will always be about knocking out diabetes for good,” said Dodging Diabetes Founder Anna Tiedeman Irwin. “But this year we realized we could be sustainable, too, while having a great time for a good cause. We think it is the right thing to do and we’re glad our community of dodgeballers agrees.”

“We hope that in working with the Council to obtain our certification we’ll inspire other nontraditional event organizers to pursue their own certifications,” said co-founder Elizabeth Kramer. Continue reading →

Win or not, our involvement in the Beyond Sport Awards application process has already made us a better organization. You see, one of the requirements of a shortlisted entry is to have a child protection policy in place.

Why, you ask? Well, all it takes is a glance at recent news coverage of Jerry Sandusky’s child abuse trial to see that child protection is an obligation we all have.

As an organization that recognizes excellence in sustainable sports event production, we’ve got to consider the protection of youth to be within our purview. After all, many of the events that apply for ReSport Certification produce events for children. Shouldn’t the Council, at least, encourage event organizers to have policies in place that protect their youth participants?

While we are still exploring best practices and ways to incorporate child protection language into our ReSport Certification standards, as of today, we’ve adopted a policy that will guide our thinking and govern our own practices. Our new child protection policy is available for download here.